Jury Indicts IRS Officer in Mortgage Refi Scheme

A federal grand jury has indicted an IRS revenue officer for pressuring delinquent taxpayers to refinance their mortages with a company for which he worked on the side so they could pay their outstanding tax debts.

Mark Claybrooks, 41, was charged with three counts of “acts affecting a personal financial interest” and two counts of fraud for using IRS computers without authorization, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He allegedly contacted overdue taxpayers and tried to steer them toward Faith Mortgage Group in Antioch, Calif., where he worked from 2003 to 2005. He received over $20,000 from the mortgage company in exchange for his referrals.

Claybrooks worked for the IRS in its Walnut Creek offices, where the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated his activities.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
Tax practice
MORE FROM ACCOUNTING TODAY